Railway-switch.



J. F. FOSTER.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FlLED ocT. 9. 1916. 1,244,307. Patented Oct. 23; 1917.

2 SHEETS-SQEET I.

J. F. FOSTER.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPUCATION FILED 001.9. ms.

1,244,307. Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

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cylinder JOHN F. FOSTER, OF GARIBERS, TENNESSEE.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 23, 1917.

Application filed October 9, 1916. Serial No. 124,529.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. Fosinn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Garbers, in the county of Washington, State of'Tennessee,have invented a new and use ful Railway-Switch; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full. clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved railway switch, and one of theobjects of the invention is to provide a positive switch mechanism andone in which the derailment of the car wheels is avoided.

A further object of the invention is to provide a railway switch, theconnections between the switch points of which and the operating meansbeing below the railway tie, thereby avoiding any obstructions betweenthe switch points, which may come in contact with any structuresuspending from the bottom of the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide a switch having improvedfeatures of construction. 4

One of the features of construction is the provision of a connecting rodbetween the two switch points, and to which the crank rod is connectedfor throwing the switch points, in combination with a second rodconnected to one of the switch points, and spring tensioned, and mountedin a guide below the upper faces of the ties, so as to throw the switchpoints automatically in one direction, incident to the flanges of thecar wheels pushing upon the switch points.

In practical fields, the details of construction may necessitatealterations falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, ashereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the switch mechanism,constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig, 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig 1.

ig. 4 is a sectional view through a plate, which is designed to beconnected with two adjacent ties, and connected integrally to a.cylinder, which supports therein a spring tensioned piston and rod.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a plate, which integrally carries a cylinderhead for one end of the cylinder.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate the mainrails, and 3 and 4, the siding rails, and 5 and 6 the switch oints,which are pivoted at 7 to one of t e ties 8. The siding rail lmergesinto the main rail 2, at a po nt beyond the extremity of the switchpoints 6. The ties 8 and 9 are provided with =wear plates 10 and 11. Aportion of a section of the main rail 2 is secured to one of the plates10 by the spikes 12, whereas the main rail 1 and the siding rail 4: aresecured to said plates 10 and 11 by the spikes l3 and 14. It is to benoted that the plates 10 have raised portions 15, between portions ofthose rails that are secured stationary to the tie 8, thereby holdingsaid rails spaced. In other words, the rails 1 and 3 are held spacedapart, as well as the rails 2 and 4. At a point where the side rail 4:merges into the main rail 2, it is secured to the tie 16 by the spikes17. The main rail 1 is also secured to the tie 16 by means of the spikes18. The spikes 17 and 18 pass through the plates 19 which are on the tie16. The main rail 1 and the siding rail 4 are secured to the tie 20 bythe spikes 21. The free extremity of the switch point 6 has an inwardlyextending flange 22 to which is con nected by means of a bolt 23, a bar24.. The bar 24 is in turn secured pivotally by means of a bolt 25 to aflange or lug 26, which projects inwardly from the switch point 5.Mounted in suitable strap bearings 27 is a rock shaft 28 having a crank29, to which a link 30 is pivotally connected. The link 30 is in turnpivotally connected by means of a pin 31 to one end of the bar 24-.Suitable nuts 32 are secured upon the rock shaft 28 adjacent the innerends of the strap bearing 27, to prevent axial movement of the rockshaft. One end of the rock shaft is provided with a right angleextending arm or lever 33, and by grasping the same, the rock shaft maybe rocked substantially a half revolution, so that by means of the crank29, movement is imparted to the bar 24:, to throw the switch point froma closed position as shown in Fig. 1 to an open position, as shown inFig. 3, which is a sectional View on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing theswitch points open. A pair of straps or-elongated plates 31 C and 35have their Opposite ends secured by bolts or other suitable means 36 and37 to the ties 16 and 20. Integral with the straps or plates and 35 isan elongated cylinder 38, which is suspended below said plates orstraps, and n between the ties l6 and 20. The bar 2i 18 also below thestraps or plates and in between the said ties, and by so disposing the4:1, and its other end is pivoted to the flange 22 of the switch point 6by means of a bolt 43. A collar piston 4-l is secured ad ustably on therod 42 by means of a. set pin 45. This collar piston fits the cylinder38 near its end opposite the cylinder head 41: and interposed betweenthe collar piston and said cylinder head and surrounding the rod 42 is acoil spring 46, which coiiperates between the cylinder head and thecollar piston'to hold the switch points normally in the positions shownin Fig. 1. WVhen the rock shaft 38. is moved in the direction of thearrow (1, the switch points are thrown to opened positions ast theaction of the spring 46, and when ti 2 arm 33 is moved toward andbetween the staples d7, by rocking the shaft in the direction of thearrow a, so that the U-bolt of a padlock, not shown. may be connected tothetwo staples i7, the switch points may be held in such openedpositions. However, just so soon as the padlock is removed the switchpoints will be automatically thrown to the closed positions shown inFig. 1, by the action of the spring 46, and in this case, thearm 33 willfit be tween the staples 48, which may receive a padlock, not shown.However, when the flanges of the car wheels are acting upon or againstthe switch points to move them from their open positions in Fig. 3 totheir closed positions in Fig. l and the padlock has been detached fromthe staples 47, the spring will assist in moving said switch insane?points, thereby relieving excessive strain upon the switch points.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and usefulis 1. Inaswitch mechanism, the combination of a pair of main rails andsiding rails, of a pair of switch points, spring means having connectionwith one of the switch points for holding the switch points normallyclosed, and means manually operated for opening the switch pointsagainst the action of said spring means, said spring means comprising atubular cylinder, a pair of straps connecting two adjacent ties andsupporting said cylinder below the upper surface of the ties, a thirdstrap secured to said ties and having acylinder head integral therewith,for one end of the cylinder, a piston rod guided in said cylinder headand provided with a collar piston and having one end connected to theend portion of one switch point, and a coil spring on the said pistonrod between the collar piston and the cylinder head.

' 2. In a switch mechanism, a pair of main rails and siding rails, apair of switch points coiiperating between the main and siding rails, anelongated cylinder having integral transverse plates connecting twoadjacent ties, whereby said cylinder may be supported below the surfaceof the ties between said switch points, an additional transverse plateconnected to and supported upon said adjacent ties and having a circularplate depending downwardly therefrom fitting over and closing one end ofsaid cylinder,

a rod guided in said circular plate and hav-' ing an angular portion atone end terminating in lateral forks, means for pivoting said forks tothe base flange of one of the switch points, a piston head on said rodand movable in said cylinder and being located normally at the end ofthe cylinder opposite the circular plate, a spring interposed betweenthe head and the circular plate to hold the switch points closed, andmeans connected to the other switch point and adapted to be released,whereby said switch points may be opened against the action of saidspring.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN F. FOSLiiER.

lVitnesses CHAs. S. ll fAsoN, LENA BELL 'FOSTER.

